If you're of the knitterly persuasion and you haven't yet read Clara Parkes' Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World, then you've missed something. While it lives up to its billing and follows Clara on her adventures across the globe, meeting, teaching and learning from knitters and yarn producers, this book has far more depth.
The style of writing is warm and full of fun, even when things are far from ideal. I did wonder what I'd have to do to get Clara to paint me in a bad light, but I rather think the effort would be completely wasted. Her generosity of spirit flows throughout the book, whether dealing with people who are hard work, or comparing the shopping habits of knitters at shows in different places.
What makes Knitlandia more than a travelogue above all is that it is also a first-hand account of how the knitting world has been transformed over the last 15-20 years from someone at the centre of that world. The impact of the internet, social media and Ravelry in particular is an undercurrent through the book as changing attitudes and habits of knitters are marked. I was especially interested in the way that knitters consume has changed. When once print patterns were a means for spinners or dyers to showcase their products, the rise of independent designers and digital downloads have transformed the landscape, to the point that the jobs Jen and I do actually exist. As for how to learn a new technique, there's a fascinating insight into the working model of Craftsy.
As someone who has in the past felt like a mere tourist in Knitlandia - the world of the knitters, this book really spoke to me as it viewed exactly the same human interactions through completely different eyes. I hope that Clara continues to travel widely, recording her observations of the world so that in the future she can publish a sequel that I will be eager to read.
Tomorrow, Jen reaches a milestone. Be sure to come back for a special treat!
Jim
You've convinced me - I have to get this book!
Posted by: Ella Austin | 25 April 2016 at 02:20 PM
I'm excited to know that Clara will be releasing this as an audiobook...most of my reading these days comes through my ears :)
Posted by: Quinn | 25 April 2016 at 02:44 PM
I just finished this book, I didn't want it to end. A great read.
Posted by: josiekitten | 25 April 2016 at 08:58 PM
I'm sure her warmth (damn autocorrect nearly had that as wrath) will come through. Hope you enjoy it when you get it.
Posted by: Jim Arnall-Culliford | 26 April 2016 at 11:00 AM
I was left wanting more. A good sign, I think.
Posted by: Jim Arnall-Culliford | 26 April 2016 at 11:01 AM
Link to buy in the post
Posted by: Jim Arnall-Culliford | 26 April 2016 at 11:01 AM
I have this book, really looking forward to it! It's now reached the top of The Pile, so will start it after 'A Shepherd's Life' (which also has wool in it, of course...)
Posted by: Fi | 26 April 2016 at 12:00 PM